On 4th September, Channel NewsAsia posted an article entitled ‘SM Goh asks Singaporeans to view problems in perspective‘, where Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong was speaking at Ramadan-on-Wheels. In his speech, he said:
“It’s important for those who are facing problems of success – like inadequate car parks and housing at the top end – to think of those who are struggling to make a living everyday. There are many people who are not able to benefit from our overall success. So just remember that, as we also try to solve our own problems at the top end.”
TheOnlineCitizen’s chief editor Andrew Loh wrote an article on his reaction: ‘Stop using the poor for your political agenda‘. In it he highlights the empty promises that SM Goh himself had made to the poor and needy in Hougang during previous elections.
Image from The Straits Times
Personally, I just find it hard to swallow the fact that SM Goh – whose daily income is probably 3 times my monthly income, and as part of the Cabinet will have a pension plan, unlike majority of Singaporeans – is telling me about poor people and that I have the wrong perspective. When was the last time he spent any time with the poor people to understand their plight? In fact, when was the last time he spent any time living the life of a ordinary Singaporean?
Also, the fact that there are poor people in Singapore does not mean that any of the concerns about overcrowding, flooding and housing prices are just complaints from a generation of rich whinging brats. They are still genuine concerns that come from everyday Singaporean life, and are not merely “top end” problems – they are problems that affect everyone.
Even the “poor people” who SM Goh is suddenly so sympathetic to have to share in the problems of overcrowded public transport, and in fact the huge issue with soaring housing prices is a direct contributing factor to many of their problems. So what is being done to help those who “are struggling to make a living everyday”?
When we exercise our rights as citizens of a democratic nation to criticise and discuss government policies, this is what they tell us. To stop complaining. To “view problems in perspective”. They portray us as spoilt rich kids who aren’t able to appreciate our success and privilege in life. Yes, to a certain extent that is true, we do have a lot compared to other countries and as a Singaporean of this generation I have lived a happy and blessed life. But that’s hardly my fault. I did try to ask to be born in a starving village in Africa, or at least during the Japanese Occupation so I could get me a healthy dose of good ol’ suffering, but the stork must have got lost and now I’m here. And just because I’m speaking out about what I perceive to be problems doesn’t automatically make me ungrateful. After all, the Singaporean government themselves have told me that we should always strive to be “better, betterer, betterest”, no?
A crucial part of the government’s job is to address the concerns of its people, not to chide them as if they are ignorant children. “Think of the poor” is not a solution. It is merely a smokescreen to hide behind while once again the voices of the people are ignored.
Castor
September 7, 2010
Politicians, all crooks…
Carl
September 8, 2010
I can see where the frustration comes from, esp. because many in the opposition feel that there isn’t enough being done for the poor (to which I agree).
But also good to see the context.. he was speaking at the sidelines of an event for the needy. Personally I am glad he said that, because I am sure many Singaporeans need to hear that (I could be wrong of course).
And Andrew Loh is not being exactly upfront in his article. Every single one of his examples of complaints, i.e. “huge number of foreigners in Singapore, the crowded trains, and the flooding in many areas whenever it rains. There were also unhappiness over the spending on the Youth Olympic Games and increasingly the question of what it means to be Singaporean”… are NOT complaints of the rich per say..
SM Goh was talking about inadequate car parks, high-end housing….
Again, this is not to confuse the subject. I still think the help afforded to the poor is not very good lah… and the examples raised by Andrew about lip-service is very true. I mean, increasing GST to help level the playing field? I even heard our dear FinMin refer to GST as a progressive tax.. ?! So yes, I still feel a lot more can and should be done to reduce inequality in Singapore. But at the same time, no point making something out of nothing… my two cents…
Kirsten
September 8, 2010
Yes, of course, it made some sense for him to be speaking like at an event for the needy. But then again, when seen in the wider context, it seems to be just empty posturing. And it isn’t the first time he – or the government – has done this “don’t complain” thing. Before NDP he also spoke about the “Singapore Gripe”, telling us to stop “whining like vuvuzelas”.
By talking only about inadequate car parks (which isn’t really just a “rich” issue – the number of available spaces are much less than the number of cars in Singapore, and it affects more than the rich) and high-end housing (and he also did speak of overcrowded trains, I believe), it just makes it out to be as if all the complaints are “rich” problems, coming from mollycoddled bratty Singaporeans. But this is not true. Personally I haven’t really heard THAT much complaining about “high-end housing”; the concerns voiced out where all about the price of HDB housing, which is NOT supposed to be high-end. It’s supposed to be government housing to provide the citizens with homes at more affordable prices than the private sector. I just felt like SM Goh was not painting an accurate picture, sitting on his high horse.
When I read the article I felt like I had to write something because although it made sense that he was saying such things at a charity event, it seemed to be nothing but posturing and self-righteousness without substance. He has no right to be all so “holier than thou” while chiding Singaporeans for being “complainers” and not even addressing our concerns.